Cigarette container



Sept-22, 1931. w. E. MOLINS CIGARETTE CONTAINER Filed Dec.

INVENTO/ M954 M 771m Patented Sept. 22, 119311 unites earner PATENT QFFICE CIGARETTE CONTAINE Application filed. December 30, 1927, Serial 1%. 243,720, and in Great Britain January 20, 192?.

This invention is for improvements in or relating to cigarette containers, and has for its object the provision of means whereby cigarettes are automatically maintained in position within the container during use by the consumer even after the major portion of the cigarettes have been removed therefrom.

It is well known that in cigarette con-.

tainers, particularly the larger size adapted to hold, say, twenty cigarettes, that after a portion of the cigarettes has been removed from the container, the remainder fall about loosely in the container and are liable to become damaged. With cigarettes which shake about in the container, the tobacco in the ends of the cigarettes becomes loose and falls out, thus rendering the cigarettes very unpleasant to smoke. It is an object of the present invention to provide means in a cigarette container whereby the remaining cigarettes are prevented from moving relatively to the container, even although the major portion of V The present invention consists of a cigarette container wherein yieldingly controlled teeth, or their equivalent, operable normally to bear upon some or all of the cigarettes located within the container, are arranged so that a tooth or teeth moves or move automatically into the space vacated by a cigarette or cigarettes removed from the container and retain in position the remaining cigarettes left in the container.

The invention is more. particularly described with reference to the drawings accompanying this specification, in which Fig. 1 illustrates a blank constructed according to the present invention adapted to be made up into a block ended packet with a covering flap.

Fig. 2 is a centre line section of a block ended packet made up from the blank illustrated in Fig. 1. i Fig. 3 illustrates a blank for the-slide of a slide and shell carton constructed according to the present invention.

Fig. 4 is a centre line section of a slide the cigarettes have been removed therefrom..

and shell carton made up with a slide of the character illustrated in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view looking in the direction of the arrow A, Fig. 2, the cover flap being bent down and some cigarettes being shown in position in the carton.

Fig. 6 illustrates a partly opened slide and shell carton supported upon one of its narrow sides, showing how the remaining cigarettes are retained in position although the underneath ones have been removed.

Fig. 7 is a longitudinal section of Fig. 6.

Fig. 8 shows a piece of cardboard, paper or the like, with spring teeth formed thereon adapted to be placed within ordinary types of packets similar to those shown in Figs. 2 and 4, instead of forming the packets from special blanks.

Fig. 9 illustrates a metal reinforcing member for leather or like wallets, having spring teeth formed integral therewith.

Fig. 10 illustrates a leather wallet with the reinforcing member illustrated in Fig. 9 inserted therein.

Fig. 11 illustrates the wallet shown in Fig. 7 10 in the closed position, and

Fig. 12 illustrates a double wallet packet with spring teeth fitted thereto.

Referring toFigs. 1 to 7, a blank is shown in Fig. 1 provided with sideflaps 1 and 2 which are gummed together to form a block ended container, the strip 3 forming the bottom of the container.

At one end of the blank, flaps 4 and 5 are formed which, when folded, comprise the top and cover flap for the finished container. At the other end of the blank thebroad flap 6 is provided with a number of teeth 7 formed by slitting the flap .6. When the container is made up, the teeth 7 are bent 90 downwardlyas shown in section in Fig. 2.

When the cigarettes are thrust into the finished container, the teeth 7 are compressed against the broad flap 6, and remain in this position until one or more cigarettes are re- 1 moved. As each cigarette is removed from the container, one of the teeth 7 spring down 7 into the place vacated by the cigarette, and

retain the remaining cigarettes in position on either side of the vacant space, and bears upon the exposed cigarette in the bottom row and holds the same against displacement.

Fig. 3 shows a slide for a slide and shell carton provided with the teeth which form the subject of the present invention. The blank 8 resembles to some extent, an ordinary slide, but one end flap 9 thereof is made longer than usual and has the end formed into a series of teeth 10, which perform the same function as the teeth 7 mentioned above. The end flap 9 is preferably made long enough to extend about half-way along the cigarettes, and the number of teeth formed is equal to the number of cigarettes in a row. These arrangements may, of course, be modified as required according to the nature and material of the packet.

Fig. 4 shows how the slide is assembled inside the shell with the teeth 10 bearing downwardly under their own resiliency.

The side flaps 11 of the slide 8 are preferably extended towards that end of the blank in which the teeth 10 are formed. The extensions 12 are adapted to be folded so as to form reinforcing members for the bottom of the slide. It should be noted that this is done by utilizing material which normally would be wasted in the slide cutting machine.

Figs. 5, 6 and 7 merely illustrate the two types of containers hereinbefore described after some of the cigarettes have been removed therefrom.

Fig. 8 shows a piece of cardboard 13 with the end turned over and teeth 14 formed thereon, and it will be understood that a member of this nature could easilybe placed in position in the ordinary cigarette container in order to achieve the object of this invention.

Itwill be seen that due to the natural resiliency of cardboard, strawboard, or like material from which the above containers are formed, it is found that when the cigarettes are in position within the container, the teeth bear upon the exposed surface of the cigarettes, and as each cigarette is re moved from the packet, so that corresponding teeth automatically move into the space vacated by the cigarette and retains the remainder of the cigarettes in position and against movement relatively to the container.

Preferably the container blank or slide is slit as shown at 15, Figs. Land 3, so that on opening the container the back may be bent on the line 16, thus enabling the consumer to more readily take hold of the cigarette and remove it from the container.

When the cigarettes are wrapped in a strip of tin foil or the like, the teeth hereinbefore referred to bear upon the foil and depress the same into the space vacated by a cigarette so as to hold the cigarette in position with the container.

Referring to Figs. 9 to 12, a reinforcing metal element 17 of U shape is formed to provide the necessary rigidity to a leather wallet. The base of the element 17 is provided with a side extension 18, the upper end of which is slit so as to form a number of teeth 19. The element is adapted to be in serted in a wallet 20 in the manner illustrated in Fig. 10, whereupon the teeth 19 perform the same function as the teeth described with reference to Figs. 1 to 8.

Fig. 12 illustrates a double pocket wallet, each pocket of which is provided with a reinforcing element similar to that illustrated in Fig. 9.

It will be appreciated that the double wallet could be formed from cardboard, strawboard, or like material, in which case the teeth could be formed as an integral portion of the blank in the manner shown with reference to Fig. 1.

It will be appreciated that the above arrangement may be employed with cigarette containers arranged to contain one or more rows of cigarettes.

Further, due to the fact that the teeth point in a direction opposite to the movement of the cigarettes as they are removed from the container, it will be appreciated that the teeth tend to hold the cigarettes against movement in the direction of their longitudinal axes and further, should more than the desired number of cigarettes be removed from the container, the excess of cigarettes may easily be replaced without ne- 100 cessitating the manipulation of the teeth hereinbefore referred to.

Thus it will be seen that according to the present invention, there is provided means whereby cigarettes are prevented from shak- 105 ing about in a container even after the major portion of the cigarettes have been removed from the container, thus ensuring} that all the cigarettes are maintained in good condition until they are smoked.

What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. A cigarette carton formed of fibrous material having a portion of one free edge thereof slitted and bent upon the main body of the material to form a series of independently movable teeth arranged within the carton so as to engage yieldingly with the cigarettes to retain the latter against accidental removal from the carton and to 00- cupy the vacated space resulting from removal of one or more cigarettes for preventing displacementof the remaining cigarettes within the carton.

2. A slide of fibrous material for use in a 125 cigarette carton of the slide and shell type, said slide being formed as a block ended container of definite volumetric capacity having side, end, front and rear walls, the upper portion of the front wall being slitted and bent upon the main body of the front wall to form a series of teeth extending into the container, the number of teeth corresponding to the number of cigarettes which can be accommodated in a single row across the container, so that each tooth yieldingly engages one cigarette for retaining the latter against accidental removal, and whereby each tooth may move independently of the other teeth to occupy the vacated space resulting from removal of one or more cigarettes for preventing displacement of the remaining cigarettes within the carton.

3. A blank for use in forming a cigarette container comprising a substantiall rectangular member of fibrous material a apted to constitute the front, back end, and closure flap of the container, and having extensions on either side thereof to form the sides of the container, one end of saidrectangular member being provided with a plurality of longitudinally extending slits to form a row of abutting, independently movable teeth adapted on completion of the container by folding to extend therein .for yielding engagement with the cigarettes.

In testimony whereof f hereunto afiix my signature.

WALTER EVERETT MOLINS. 

